Local roundup: Waterford, Stonington advance to title game; Griswold football game cancelled

Tuesday

Nov 12, 2013 at 10:53 PMNov 12, 2013 at 10:54 PM

The Bulletin

MIDDLETOWN — Melina Spanos’ second goal of the game proved to be the game-winner with 15 minutes left to lift No. 3 Waterford High to a 2-1 win over No. 2 Tolland in a CIAC Class M girls’ soccer tournament semfinal game on Tuesday.

Genaya Loftis assisted on Spanos’ first goal and freshman Jordan Kovacs made five saves for Waterford (16-3-2).

“I’m so happy for the girls, the town and all of the volunteers who helped our girls get ready for this,” said coach Rob Brule. “We’re looking forward to bring our first state title in Waterford history.”

Waterford will play No. 5 Haddam-Killingworth on Saturday.

“This team believes in themselves and each other,” Brule said. “I’ve never been around a group of girls as resilient.”

It is the second state title appearance for the Lancers in Brule’s 20 years. Waterford lost to Avon, 2-0, in the Class L final in 2002.

FIELD HOCKEY

Class S semifinal

(3) Stonington 4 (2) Thomaston 0

GUILFORD — Molly Crowley scored the game’s final three goals — including two in a 45-second span late in the second half — as the Bears advanced to the Class S title game for the second consecutive season.

Stonington will play the winner of today’s Granby-Northwest Catholic game for the title on Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

The Bears (17-2) lost to Haddam-Killingworth in last year’s Class S final.

“I have eight seniors and they all were on that state final team last year,” Stonington coach Jenna Tucchio said. “You know what to expect and that mystery is kind of taken out of it. You’re nervous but it’s nervous excitement and not, ‘Oh my God. We’ve never been here before. Can we do this?’ It’s a different mindset that will hopefully allow us to settle into the game a lot quicker.”

Meg O’Lary also scored for the Bears on an assist from Elizabeth Morrison early in the game.

Annie Kniezeski made nine saves for the shutout.

H.S. FOOTBALL

Griswold game cancelled

Hamden Hall has cancelled its game against Griswold on Friday night. Hamden Hall found out Sunday that it had qualified for a postseason berth and decided to not play its nonleague game against the Wolverines, leaving Griswold two weeks to prepare for their annual Thanksgiving Day game with Plainfield.

“That was never even discussed as a possibility,” Griswold coach and athletic director Glenn LaBossiere said. “I had no knowledge of that or I never would have booked it.”

LaBossiere said the Hamden Hall administration apologized and Griswold will just look ahead to Thanksgiving.

“From a football standpoint, we’re a little beaten up and could use the rest,” LaBossiere said. “For the older kids it’s kind of a bummer. The kids have a good attitude and are starting to get ready for Plainfield.”

SWIMMING

Class LL

Buckridge 11th

NEW HAVEN — Emma Buckridge finished 11th for the Wildcats in the 500-yard freestyle in five minutes, 26 seconds at the Class LL Championship Final.

Stonington High senior Theresa Kane will sign a national letter of intent today to play at Georgetown next season. Kane was an All-Bulletin pick as a junior after leading Stonington to the ECC Medium Division title, earning Class M All-State and All-ECC honors. Kane batted over .500 last year and had more than 100 hits in her career.

MEN’S SOCCER

Stensland, DeVito awarded

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. — Eastern Connecticut State University senior Carl Stensland was selected as the Little East Conference Defensive Player of the Year and coach Greg DeVito was selected as LEC Coach of the Year.

Stensland is the thrid consecitive Warrior and fifth overall to earn the top defensive award. Stensland was selected to the All-LEC first team and led Eastern in goals allowed (16) goals against average (0.80) and shutouts (8).

DeVito won his second Coach of the Year award since 2007. DeVito led the Warriors into an 11-match winning streak (8-0-3) from Sept. 1 to Oct. 12 and led Eastern to its fourth conference regular-season title and third consecutive LEC tournament title, fifth overall.

Walton recognized

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. — Eastern’s Greg Walton became the only third freshman goalkeeper in the 25-year history of the Little East Conference awards program and first since 2005 to gain first-team honors.

In seven LEC regular season matches, Walton led the conference with a 0.55 goals against average, third in save percentage and shared the lead in shutouts (3).

Burns, Tarzian selected

BOSTON — Coast Guard Academy juniors Richie Burns and John Tarzian were selected to the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference first team.

Burns earned first-team honors for the second year in a row after leading the NEWMAC in saves (101) and shutouts (6).

Tarzian led all Bears defenders with four goals and was one of four players to start all 20 games for Coast Guard.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Moore honored

BOSTON — Coast Guard junior Holly Moore was named to the All-NEWMAC second team.

Moore finished fifth in the NEWMAC with 84 saves and finished in the top seven in goals against average (1.62), shutouts (3) and save percentage (.771).

VOLLEYBALL

Mihalek honored

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. — ECSU freshman Adrianna Mihalek was selected as Little East Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Little East first team.

Mihalek led the conference in kills per set (3.18) and recorded double digits in kills 21 times and double digits in digs 13 times.